Gaja, a 14-year-old girl whose parents are separated, confronts envious classmates, experiences identity theft on social media, and learns the value of true friendship. During holidays, her father takes Gaja and her teenage sister Tea to a seaside camp, but the vacation has not yet begun. With the assistance of her friend Matic and a police inspector, Gaja rescues the owner of a bar from blackmailers, reunites the family, and makes her father happy with the help of her friends, her mother and a saxophone teacher Ema.
“I am very happy and honoured that Gaja's World – This Is My Planet! has won such public acclaim. This is a vital message from audiences to the decision-makers distributing the funds for future film projects, and another proof to me that people in Slovenia appreciate good, interesting and diverse Slovenian films,” says director Peter Bratuša in a statement.
Uma Štader plays the leading role of Gaja and Enej Černe Berčič is her best friend, Matic. The well-known Slovenian theatre and film actor Sebastian Cavazza plays Gaja’s father again, alongside Ajda Smrekar, Lotus Šparovec and Primož Pirnat, while Jurij Zrnec, Bojan Emeršič, Matej Zemljič and Katarina Čas are joining the cast for the first time.
The film was produced by Peter Bratuša, Špela Levičnik Oblak and Jaka Pokorn through Felina Films in coproduction with RTV Slovenija.
“The total budget was 703,000 EUR,” the producers told FNE. RTV Slovenija contributed 340,000 EUR, Felina 55,950 EUR, Studio Viba Film provided technical support in the amount of 39,476 EUR and the Slovenian Film Centre supported the project with 267,709 EUR.
Gaja’s World – This Is My Planet! was released in Slovenian cinemas by Cinemania Group in the autumn of 2022 with 82,639 admissions so far.
Peter Bratuša was born in 1962 and studied film photography at the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb. He made two feature films as DoP and producer, and directed more than 250 commercials. Apart from Gaja’s World – This Is My Planet!, he directed the TV series Lifes of Tomaž Kajzer and the feature films Awakenings (2017, Felina Films) and Gaja’s World (2018, Felina Films), which won two Vesna awards (special achievement, best make-up) at the 22nd Festival of Slovenian Film and buzz@teen award at FF Motovun in 2018.
Production Information:
Producer:
Felina Films (Slovenia)
Peter Bratuša: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Coproducers:
RTV Slovenija (Slovenia)
Credits:
Director: Peter Bratuša
Screenwriters: Špela Levičnik Oblak, Peter Bratuša
DoP: Dominik Istenič
Composer: Sebastijan Duh
Editor: Jan Lovše
Production designer: Miha Ferkov
Costume designer: Vesna Črnelič
Make-up artist: Nataša Sevčnikar
Cast: Uma Štader, Enej Černe Berčič, Sebastian Cavazza, Ajda Smrekar, Lotus Šparovec, Primož Pirnat, Jurij Zrnec, Bojan Emeršič, Matej Zemljič, Katarina Čas